Reproductive and sexual health 

Key concerns

This is seen most acutely in developing countries, where sexual and reproductive health problems are a leading cause of ill health and death for women and girls of childbearing age. Impoverished women suffer disproportionately from unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortion, maternal death and disability, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), gender-based violence, and other problems related to pregnancy and childbirth.

Young people are also extremely vulnerable, often facing barriers to sexual and reproductive health information and care. Young people are disproportionately affected by HIV, for example, and every year millions of girls face unintended pregnancies, exposing them to risks during childbirth or unsafe abortions and interfering with their ability to go to school. Adolescent sexual and reproductive health is therefore another important focus of UNFPA’s work.

UNFPA also works to prevent and address STIs, which take an enormous toll around the world. More than a million people acquire an STI every single day. Without diagnosis and treatment, some STIs, such as HIV or syphilis, can be fatal. STIs can also cause pregnancy-related complications, including stillbirth, congenital infections, sepsis and neonatal death. STIs like human papillomavirus (HPV) can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility and cervical cancer, a major killer of women.

Article from https://www.unfpa.org/sexual-reproductive-health (Key concerns)

Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Key points and messages that the Resident Coordinator should know about the issue 

• Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) refers to a collection of human rights which are guaranteed in international human rights treaties, other inter-governmental agreements and consensus documents, and national laws. These human rights include civil and political rights as well as economic, social and cultural rights, all of which are essential for ensuring the equal right of women and men to enjoy the maximum attainable standard of sexual and reproductive health and make decisions concerning their sexuality and reproduction, including the number, timing of birth and spacing of their children, free from discrimination, coercion and violence. For instance, the lack of respect of the right to privacy can deter adolescents and young people from seeking sexual and reproductive health services if adolescent sexuality is stigmatized. • Violations of SRHR take many forms, such as denying access to services that only women require, providing poor quality services, subjecting access to third-party authorization or performing procedures without a woman’s consent, including forced sterilization or forced virginity examination. • UN treaty bodies such as CEDAW have established that criminalization of services that only women require is a form of discrimination against women, and States should decriminalize sexual and reproductive health services, including abortion, as a matter of priority. • Violations of women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights are often deeply ingrained in societal values and gender stereotypes pertaining to women’s sexuality. In particular, patriarchal concepts of women’s roles within the family mean that women are often valued according to their ability to reproduce. Addressing violations of SRHR will often require addressing these harmful stereotypes as well as traditional practices such as FGM and child, early and forced marriage. • The CRPD asserts that people with disabilities have the right to the same standard and services in the area of sexual and reproductive health services as is provided to other persons.

Retrieved from https://unsdg.un.org/sites/default/files/2020-06/Sexual-and-Reproductive-Health-and-Rights.pdf